Switch safety mechanism.



F. o. ANDERSON.

SWITCH SAFETY MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 19, 1910.

59,691 Patented May 31,1910.

2 SHBETS-BHEET 1.

' I. 0. ANDERSON. SWITCH SAFETY MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 19, 1910. 5,691 Patented May 31, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

FRANK C. ANDERSON, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN VALVE8a METER COMPANY, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

SWITCH SAFETY MECHANISM.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK C. ANDnnsoN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Switch SafetyMechanism, of which the following is a specilication.

My invention relates to means for insuring safety in the use of railroadswitches, and more particularly to means for controlling the use of apad lock for locking a switch stand whereby the switch stand cannot belocked unless the interlocking plunger is engaged in locked positionwith the interlocking bar.

I have heretofore constructed switch safety mechanism to be used inconnection with switch interlocking mechanism to control the locking ofa switch stand which required the use of a specially constructed switchstand, as shown by my Patents Nos. 862,044, 839,089, 913,185, and N0.9%,952, but none of these switch safety devices are interchangeable oradapted to be used in connection with any of the various styles ofswitch stands upon the market except those specially designed to be usedtherewith.

The object of my present invention is to provide switch safety mechanismfor engaging, operating and controlling an interlocking plunger adaptedto engage an interlocking bar connected to the point rails of a switch,and for engaging and controlling the use of a pad lock for locking theswitch stand, whereby the switch stand cannot be locked unless theswitch is in proper position for trafiic and said interlocking plungeris engaged in locked position with the interlocking bar, my inventionbeing adapted for use in connection with various styles of switch standsof the high or skeleton type now upon the market, no special construetion of switch stand being required for use in connection therewith.

My invention consists in means to operate an interlocking plunger andmeans to control the use of a pad lock for looking a switch stand.

My invention also consists in the parts and combination and arrangementof parts as herein set forth and claimed.

In the drawings which serve to illustrate preferred constructions of myinvention and its application and use: Figure 1 is a front Specificationof Letters Patent.

Application filed January 19, 1910.

Patented May 31, 1910. Serial No. 538,875.

elevation of a switch stand showing my invention partly in verticalsection adjacent thereto. Fig. 2 is a view partly in vertical sectionshowing a modification of my invention in which the mechanism isprovided with double operating racks and connecting means for the padlock. Fig. 3 is a view partly in vertical section showing a modificationof my invention in which the plunger mechanism operates through one headblock and the connecting rod for pad lock is placed central relative tothe head blocks and switch stand. Fig. 41 is a top view of the operatingrack with foot treadle or trip. Fig. 5 is a front elevation of a padlock in general use on railroads for locking switch stands. Fig. 6 is aplan view of a switch stand and switch equipped with my invention. Fig.7 is a view partly in vertical section showing a switch stand having ahandle which moves 90 equipped with my invention. Fig. 8 is a plan viewof the plate shown in Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a broken view of a switch standshowing the pad lock engaging the handle near its lower or free end.Fig. 10 is an end view of the housing with the elongated slot throughwhich the foot trip of the operating rack is adapted to extend and limitthe movement of the plunger operating mechamsm.

In illustrating the construction and use of my invention,-I show aswitch stand 1 mounted on railroad head blocks 2. The switch stand isprovided with the usual ver tical operating shaft 3, and has a target 1mounted thereon. An operating rod 5 connects the operating shaft 3 withthe point rails 6.

Mounted in a housing 7, alongside of the switch stand 1, are gear wheels8 and 9 for engaging the operating rack 10 and the plunger rack 11,respectively. The operating rack 10 is provided with a connecting rod 12slidably mounted in a boss or guide 18 on the housing 7. The top of theconnecting rod 12 is provided with a hole 141 to which is attached oneend of a chain 15. The other end of the chain 15 is attached to the eye16 of a pad lock 17. The operating rack 10 is also provided with a foottrip 10' having a hole therein to which the chain 15 may be directlyattached, if desired, thus dispensing with the use of the connecting rod12 for that purpose.

The hasp of the pad lock 17 is adapted to a enter the opening 18 in thelug 19 on the handle 20. The handle 20 is pivoted at 21 on the fulcrumhead 22, said fulcrum head being pinned and keyed to the operating shaft3.

The plate 31 is secured to the head blocks 2 and supports upper andlower housings 7 and 24, respectively, attached to said plate. Theplunger rack 11 is slidably mounted within the lower housing 24 and hasat tached thereto the interlocking plunger 23 and plunger guide 25.Surrounding the plunger guide 25 is a spring 26 which automaticallyforces the operating rack 10 to its uppermost position and theinterlocking plunger in locked position with the interlocking bar 27when the switch is properly closed. Thus, the switch safety mechanismacts automatically in locking the switch if the, point rails of theswitch are properly closed. It also serves to hold the plunger in lockedposition if the switch stand and plunger operating mechanism should bedestroyed under tratiic.

The interlocking bar 27 of the usual construction is connected to theswitch point 28 by means of a connecting member 29 and is supported in alocking guide 30 secured to the plate 31 of the switch safety mechanism.The interlocking bar 27 also passes through guide 32 secured to the headblock 2. A distant signaling device 33 can be attached to theinterlocking bar 27 to operate in conjunction therewith, but this formsno part of the present invention. The interlocking bar 27 is alsoprovided near its outer end with an opening 30 to engage theinterlocking plunger 23 when the switch is in closed position. If it isdesired at any time to interlock the switch both ways, which would bethe case at the end of a double track, the interlocking bar would beprovided with two openings instead of the one opening 30 to engage theinterlocking plunger 23.

hen it is desired to open the switch the pad lock 17 must be removedfrom the operating handle 20, permitting the foot trip 10 to be movedwith the foot to its lowermost position, thus withdrawing theinterlocking plunger 23 from the interlocking bar 27 to permit theswitch to be thrown by the use of the switch stand 1. It will be apparent that the interlocking plunger23 cannot be operated unless the padlock 17 is disengaged from the operating handle 20 of the switch stand1, thus making it impossible to tamper with ordisengage the interlockingmechanism when the switch stand is engaged with the pad lock in lockedposition because the connection between the pad lock and the connectingrod 12 is only long enough to permit the pad lock to engage and lock theswitch stand when the switch is in closed position.

If it is desired to close and lock the switch,

the switch stand is thrown in the usual manner, but. if the switchshould be disconnected from the stand or if there should be anobstruction between the point rails and main or stock rails, theoperator could not use the pad lock for it would be out of position toengage the stand, thus requiring the opera tor to remove the cause whichprevents the locking of the switch in closed position.

The housing 7 is provided with an elongated vertical slot 35 withinwhich the foot trip 10 operates, and it is preferably covered by meansof a plate 3% attached to the foot trip 10 to close said slot andprotect the interior mechanism. Said slot is of proper length to controlthe movement of he plunger in either direction, thus avoiding anypossibility of the plunger becoming inoperative.

I preferably provide the ope-rating rack 10 with vertical grooves 37 toengage vertical ribs 36 on the interior of the housing 7 for the purposeof guiding and holding said operating rack in operative engagement withthe gear wheel 8. Thus, the operating rack 10 is always held in itsproper position and is free to slide up and down in the housing.

The construction of my safety mechanism, as illustrated in Fig. 1, inwhich the stand is adapted to throw 180, permits of the reversal of theposition of the switch safety mechanism with relation to the switchstand and interlocking mechanism to allow the locking of the handle 20upon either side of the switch stand when necessary. This isaccomplished by providing two gears 8 and 9, either of which is adaptedto mesh with the plunger rack 11 and operate the plunger, making eitherright or left mechanism to engage the pad lock with the rod 12 on eitherside of the stand. The operating handle of the switch stand is shown onthe side of the stand opposite to the interlock ing bar and the rod 12in directline to engage the pad lock of the stand. To reverse the safetymechanism simply detach the housing 7 and reverse its position so thatthe gear wheel 8 will mesh with the plunger rack 11. It will thus beseen that this construction makes a positively right or left mechanismto engage the pad lock, regardless of the position of either theoperating handle or interlocking bar.

In Fig. 2 I show a modification adapted to be used in connection with aswitch stand adapted to throw 180 for the purpose of controlling a padlock on either side of the switch stand to lock the switch stand ineither position as may be desired. This construction is especiallyadapted for use in locking the switch at the end of a double track wherestands are locked with switch in either position. It provides for aconnecting rod and chain to limit and control the use of a pad lock oneach side of the stand. It is immaterial which head block contains theinterlocking plunger because the downward movement of either operatingrack will withdraw the interlocking plunger. It will be understood thatthe interlocking bar 27, when used with this construction, will requiretwo openings to receive the interlocking plunger when the switch isthrown in either position. The housing 7* is made in halves, each halfhaving ears 7? through which the two halves are bolted together, thuspermitting the as sembling of the gears and operating racks therein.

In Fig. 8 I show another modification of my invention in which theplunger mechanism operates through one head block and the connecting rod12 for the pad lock is placed central relative to the head blocks andswitch stand, permitting the use of the pad lock for locking on eitherside of a stand which has a handle adapted to move 90. If it is desiredto interlock both ways, it is only necessary to have the interlockingbar provided with an opening to receive the plunger when the switch isthrown in either position. The large gear 9 will withdraw the plungerfrom the interlocking mech anism when set in either position by havingthe rod 12 to operate in the center of the stand and it makes nodifference which head block contains the plunger mechanism, thus makingit reversible for engaging the interlocking bar on either side of theswitch stand.

In Fig. 7 I show a construction in which one of the gear wheels of theswitch safety mechanism is dispensed with and the pad lock is adapted tolock the handle of the switch stand in either position where the handleoperates 90. l/Vith this type of switch safety mechanism the housingcontaining the switch interlocking mechanism extends through both headblocks in order that the rod 12 will always operate in the center of thestand. With this construction I am also enabled to interlock the switchboth ways by simply providing the interlocking bar with two openings toengage the interlocking plunger. lVith this construction theinterlocking plunger may be mounted through either head block as may berequired, thus providing for operat ing right or left interlockingmechanism. Thus, it is seen, that in Figs. 3 and 7 my invention isadapted to be used with types of switch stands having a throw of 90, butthe plunger mechanism shown in Fig. 3 requires two gears and operatesthrough one head block, while the mechanism shown in Fig. 7 has only onegear and operates through both head blocks.

It will be apparent that my invention is capable of considerablemodification in its application and use without material departure fromthe scope and spirit thereof, as shown by the several modificationsillustrated. It will also be apparent that it is applicable to use withvarious other styles of switch stands, as, for instance, it is adaptedto lock a stand in which the handle is secured thereto near its freeend, as shown in Fig. 9.

I claim:

1. In switch safety mechanism, a switch stand connected to the pointrails of a switch, a pad lock for locking said switch stand, a flexibleconnection attached to said pad lock, an interlocking bar connected tosaid point rails, a plunger adapted to engage said interlocking bar,means to manually disengage the plunger from said interlocking bar andadapted to engage said flexible connection for said pad lock, and meansto automatically throw said plunger into engagement with saidinterlocking bar and permit the use of said pad lock only when theswitch is properly closed.

2. In switch safety mechanism having a switch stand and switchinterlocking mechanism connected to the point rails of a switch, and apad lock for locking said switch stand when the switch is properlyclosed, agear adapted to engage the switch interlocking mechanism, anoperating rack adapted to actuate said gear, and a connection betweensaid rack and said pad lock to limit and control its use for lockingsaid switch stand.

8. In switch safety mechanism having a switch stand and switchinterlocking mechanism connected to the point rails of a switch, and apad lock for locking said switch stand when the switch is properlyclosed, a gear adapted to engage the switch interlocking mechanism, anoperating rack adapted to actuate said gear, afoot trip for saidoperating rack, and a connection between said operating rack and saidpad lock to limit and control its use for locking said switch stand.

4. In switch safety mechanism having a switch stand and switchinterlocking mechanism connected to the point rails of a switch, and apad lock for locking said switch stand when the switch is properlyclosed, a gear adapted to engage the switch interlocking mechanism, anoperating rack adapted to engage said gear, a connecting rod secured tosaid operating rack, and a chain connecting said connecting rod and padlock, substantially as set forth.

5. In switch safety mechanism having a switch stand and switchinterlocking mechanism connected to the point rails of a switch and apad lock for locking said switch stand when the switch is properlyclosed, a gear adapted to engage the switch interlock ing mechanism, anoperating rack adapted to actuate said gear, a foot trip on saidoperating rack, and a housing for said gear and operatin rack providedwith an elongated slot adapted to limit the movement of said tripwhereby movement of the interlocking plunger is limited, substantiallyas set forth.

6. In switch safety mechanism having a switch stand and switchinterlocking mechanism connected to the point rails of a switch and apad lock for said switch stand, reversible means for engaging saidswitch interlocking mechanism, and means whereby the pad lock is adaptedto engage the operating handle of the switch stand to lock the switchstand on either side thereof.

7. In switch safety mechanism having a switch stand and switchinterlocking mechanism connected to the point rails of a switch and apad lock for said switch stand, means to operate said interlockingmechanism, whereby the operating rack can be placed on either side of aswitch stand to operate the interlocking mechanism and automaticallypermit the use of said pad lock for locking the handle of the switchstand on either side thereof only when the switch is properly closed.

8. In switch safety mechanism having a switch stand and switchinterlocking mechanism connected to the point rails of a switch and apad lock for locking said switch stand when the switch is properlyclosed, means adapted to operate said switch interlocking mechanism, avertical rod engaging said means, and a flexible connection between saidvertical rod and said pad lock to automatically permit the engagement ofthe pad lock with the switch stand only when the switch is properlyclosed.

9, In switch safety mechanism, a switch stand connected to the pointrails of a switch, a pad lock for locking said switch stand, switchinterlocking mechanism adapted to rigidly hold the switch only whenproperly closed, means for connecting said pad lock to said switchinterlocking mechanism, means for manually releasing said switch fromsaid switch interlocking mechanism, and means for automaticallyinterlocking said switch and permitting the use of said pad look onlywhen the switch is properly closed.

FRANK G. ANDERSON.

Witnesses J AMES N. RAMSEY, FLORENCE HAMMEL.

